Ireland in the World Revolution, 1917-1923

From 1917 to 1923 the Irish working class went on the offensive like never before or since. This was following the Russian Revolution, when Capitalism and monarchy had been banished from one-sixth of the earth’s surface, and from India to the US, from Hungary to South Africa, working people felt empowered to fight for their rights and a better future.

Written out of the history books and covered over with a republican story of raids and ambushes, the real story of this period in Irish history is of a working-class revolt that dwarfs the 1913 lockout and offered the potential for a socialist Ireland.

This series is a work-in-progress – expect 3 or 4 more articles to come on the Protestant working class, the Republican movement and attempts to build a revolutionary party in Ireland at this time.